Safety First: Funding approved for 335 School Safety Projects

Concord, NH – Today, the Governor and Executive Council approved $9,873,605.40 in school safety funding to hundreds of schools across New Hampshire, following $3.9 million previously allocated this year and $43.9 million total since 2017.

"New Hampshire is not immune to the tragedies we have seen unfold across the country," said Governor Chris Sununu. "This additional $10 million in school safety funding approved today follows $3.9 million approved earlier this year – a clear sign that New Hampshire remains as committed as ever to providing as many resources as possible to ensure schools are equipped with the resources and training to be prepared."

Funding for 335 projects throughout 249 schools (231 public schools and 18 non-public schools) has now been authorized as part of the Security Action for Education (SAFE) grant application process. The list of school projects is available here.

"School safety is an absolute priority in New Hampshire, and this latest round of SAFE grants will work to ensure that schools are prepared and supplied with new technology and other advancements to enhance school safety and the protection of our children," said Frank Edelblut, education commissioner.

Schools submitted applications to the Public School Infrastructure Commission (PSIC) through the Homeland Security and Emergency Management's (HSEM) Resource Center, and HSEM then reviewed the applications to assess potential risk based on a scoring rubric approved by the PSIC. All of the projects approved are aimed to improve access control capabilities at schools statewide.

"We continue to work to make our schools safer so that children, staff members and parents can have peace of mind," said HSEM Director Robert Buxton. "This round of funding will help to create more security through access control."

This is the second round of SAFE grants approved in recent months. Early decision awards were previously granted to 92 public schools and totaled $3.9 million in state funds. This second round of awards total nearly $9.9 million in funds through the Governor's Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery and will be granted to 249 schools; awards were capped at $100,000 per school.

Note: Background on the Public School Infrastructure Commission and previous allocations can be found here.